15Jul15

Statement by Administrator Robert L. Listenbee of the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Before the Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs on "Juvenile Justice in Indian Country: Challenges and Promising
Strategies"

Thank you, Chairman John Barrasso. And thank you, Vice-Chairman Jon
Tester and distinguished members of the committee. I'm grateful for this
opportunity to discuss with you the challenges surrounding juvenile justice in
Indian country and the steps we are taking at the Department of Justice to
improve our response to tribal youth. As Administrator of the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Justice Department's
Office of Justice Programs, I have the privilege of overseeing a host of
programs designed to support tribes as they serve their youngest members. I
believe - and I know each of you believes - that tribal youth represent the
link between a proud heritage and a promising future for all our Indian
nations.

My office is working diligently to support native youth, many of whom have
faced terrible hardships in their young lives. The work we're doing on their
behalf fits squarely within the priorities I've set for my office: making our
nation's juvenile justice system more evidence-based and
developmentally-informed, improving compliance with the core requirements
of our statutory mission and reducing out-of-home placement. Operating in
accordance with these goals, I believe we can narrow the front door to the
juvenile justice system and, at the same time, make our juvenile justice
agencies more responsive to the needs of our young people.

In my view, juvenile justice reform is an urgent matter, and nowhere is the
issue more pressing than in Indian country. Cases involving native youth are
complicated by a host of challenges, including a bewildering jurisdictional
patchwork, an absence of tribal juvenile codes to guide justice professionals
and a failure of state and federal systems to account for cultural needs. High
rates of trauma in Indian country make matters even worse. The Attorney
General's Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native Children
Exposed to Violence found that among native children who enter the juvenile
justice system, the prevalence of trauma symptoms due to violence exposure
is estimated at 73 to 95 percent.

The needs are great and I'm proud that my office and my partners throughout
the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Justice, are stepping up
to try to meet these challenges. I describe these initiatives more fully in my
written statement, and will note them briefly now.

First, in an effort to mitigate the impact of violence on youth, we are funding
demonstration programs at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and the
Chippewa Cree Tribe in Montana that use traditional practices to enhance
resilience in children exposed to trauma.

Second, we are working to prevent tribal youth from entering the juvenile
justice system. One of the goals of our Mentoring Opportunities for Youth
Initiative is to connect substantially more native young people to positive adult
influences, and our Tribal Youth Program supports skills development,
education and traditional methods like talking circles to help at-risk youth.

Third, we are providing greater access to culturally-based diversion
alternatives. The five Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts we fund are using
drug court principles to complement traditional approaches to counter
underage drinking. And through a public-private partnership with the Anne E.
Casey Foundation, we've launched a pilot tribal site as part of the Juvenile
Detention Alternatives Initiative.

Fourth, we're collaborating with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to update the
Model Indian Juvenile Code. The code specifically addresses issues affecting
native youth arrested for alcohol and drug-related offenses and it reflects
federal legislative updates and the latest developments in the field of juvenile
justice.

Finally, we are widening tribal access to our resources. The Department of
Justice's Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, which includes the Tribal
Youth Program, offers tribes a more streamlined approach to applying for
grants. Over the last five years, the Department has awarded more than
1,100 grants totaling almost $530 million under this program. And the
President's budget request for fiscal year 2016 includes a seven percent
set-aside from Office of Justice Programs discretionary funds for tribal justice
assistance grants. The set-aside would provide a flexible source of
tribally-specific funding that they could use to identify and address their most
important criminal and juvenile justice priorities.

Mr. Chairman, I have met many young people in my travels to Indian country.
On July 9, I met even more when, along with Senator Heitkamp and Mr.
Cruzan, I had the privilege of participating in the White House's inaugural
Tribal Youth Gathering. These young people have amazed and inspired me by
their courage and by their faith in the future. Many have traveled a hard road
and sometimes that road has led them to trouble. But I believe, with few
exceptions, that they have much to offer - to their families, to their
communities, and to this nation. I'm committed to doing my part to help
them realize their promise. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you
today and I am prepared to answer any questions you may have.

This document has been published on 28Jul15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with
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